Eurasia Press & News
Turkey would be open to new offers for a missile defence system if a deal agreed with a Chinese firm under U.S. sanctions falls through, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was quoted on Friday as saying.
The NATO member’s decision to co-produce the long-range air and missile defence system with China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp (CPMIEC) over rival bids from Russian, U.S. and European firms has raised concern among Turkey’s Western allies.
“Currently I don’t know if there are different proposals from the other parties. If there are they could be considered,” the pro-government Bugun newspaper quoted Erdogan as telling a reporter on his plane early on Thursday.
“Only if China pulls out of the negotiations will the possibility of talks with the other sides emerge.”
A senior Turkish official familiar with the matter confirmed Erdogan had made the comments.
The U.S. ambassador to Turkey said on Thursday Washington was concerned that the $3.4 billion deal with the Chinese firm could undermine allied air defences and had begun “expert” talks with Ankara to assess the potential impact.
NATO has also said it is worried about Turkey buying a system not compatible with those of other member states, potentially undermining a core principle of the 28-nation alliance.
